Interesting Value Chain Call for Experts – in Zambia on Maize!

18th July 2019
by secretary

Agrinatura News

Dear all,

We are glad to share with you a new call for experts for a very interesting value chain analysis in Zambia on Maize.

The profiles are detailed below. Each expert will have 45 working days (50 for the team leader).The period for the study is October 2019 – March 2020.

The ToR will be circulated as soon as approved – but this is expected to be a standard study, undertaken by using the VCA4D methodology, as described in the ‘Methodological Brief. Tools and Methods’. https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/documents/methodological-brief-v12

Please send the CVs of candidates to sara.baumgart@agrinatura-eu.eu and giorgia.mei@agrinatura-eu.eu , by Friday, 9^st August, COB.

Context

Maize (followed by wheat, rice, sunflowers, soybeans) is the main crop produced in Zambia, where agriculture contributes around 10% to GDP. Mainly rain-fed, maize production is carried out for 90% by small-holders farmers who mostly rely on input subsidies, and prices and marketing decisions of the Food Reserve Agency Purchases (FRA).

Maize is the dominant staple food, representing over half of total caloric intake. When production is in surplus and exceeds the food consumption needs, it is also exported to neighbouring countries. However, this production-consumption trade-off fluctuated constantly over the last decades due to several reasons, such as climate shocks (droughts, excess rainfall and flooding), price volatility, pests and diseases, among others.

Over the years, the government made effort to stabilize maize production and availability for the national consumption through subsidies on inputs, price control via the FRA, taxes on exports. A ban on exports was imposed in April 2016, in order to deal with maize shortages for national consumption caused by a severe drought.

The recent lift of the export ban, as well as an increasing transfer to the private sector of government’s functions as inputs subsidizer, among others, is attracting the interest of financial institutions to invest in the maize value chain.

The EU is supporting the sector via the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF). The fund is sponsoring sustainable investments in companies to promote scale-scale farmers engagement and climate smart agriculture, including in the maize VC.

The VCA will be used to provide a baseline on indicators and to enhance the overall understanding of the sector to facilitate future sustainable investments.

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Experts’ profiles

Agricultural economist

S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge and experience on value chain analysis from an economic point of view. S/he will elaborate financial and economic accounts of the VC actors and the VC (and VC sub-systems) as specified in the toolkit (see https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/documents/methodological-brief-v12).

S/he is able to undertake a full functional analysis with the support of his/her colleagues.

Experience on economic analysis in value chain, and in particular in developing countries, is required.

Experience in the maize value chain is an asset.

Professional experience in Zambia is appreciated.

Knowledge of English is required.

A collective training or at least an individual introduction to the software AFA will be made to the Economist prior to the first mission. In the case the training cannot be done before the first mission, it will be done before the second mission.

S/he will provide a report on Functional Analysis and Economic Analysis that will be included in the final report.

S/he will help the team leader to: (i) define the typology of actors that will be adopted throughout the study, (ii) formulate an executive summary and conclusions that combine the results of the different analyses in order to answer the framing questions and to finalise the report (rereading, formatting the report…).

Social expert

S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge of and experience on social issues related to value chains in developing countries the project wants to delve into (gender equality, land and water rights, working conditions, living conditions, social capital, food and nutrition security).

S/he has experience at least in one (but preferably 2 of 3) of these domains and is able to handle and inform on the other ones.

Specific experience in social analysis of the agricultural sector in developing countries is required.

Experience in social aspects of the maize value chains is an asset.

Professional experience in Zambia is compulsory.

Knowledge of English is required.

Experience in stakeholder management or policy and practice capacities are a plus.

An introduction to the Social Profile as a guiding tool will be made to the Social Expert prior to the first mission.

S/he will provide a report on Social Analysis that will be included in the final report, based on a completed Social Profile.

3) Environmental/LCA expert

S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge of and experience on the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).

Experience on LCA value chain analysis in developing countries (in particular in Africa) is appreciated.

Experience in agricultural value chains, in particular on maize, is required.

Professional experience in Zambia will be appreciated.

Knowledge of English is required.

S/he will preferably use the SimaPro software for LCA.

S/he will provide a report on Environmental Analysis (together with the other environmental expert) that will be included in the final report.

4) Maize Value Chain National Expert

S/he is a specialist of the maize value chain in Zambia.

Relevant knowledge of the national institutions (technical, economic and political ones) and stakeholders involved in the maize value chain is required.

At the beginning of the study, s/he will provide overall information on the value chain, identifying key players and existing and relevant information and data for the analyses. The national expert will help to select the most relevant data from available sources, to clarify inconsistencies and to improve coherence between analyses.

S/he will facilitate and complete the data collection, in agreement to guidelines of the Team Leader.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in contact!

Photo by Pablo García Saldaña on Unsplash

Interesting Value Chain Call for Experts – in Zambia on Maize!

Dear all,

We are glad to share with you a new call for experts for a very interesting value chain analysis in Zambia on Maize.

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